Highway railroad crossing



y 1958 c. H. SANDBERG 2,833,480

HIGHWAY RAILROAD CROSSING Filed July-l0, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IjVENTOR.a a 4 1953 I c. H. SANDBERG 2,833,480

HIGHWAYVRAILROAD caossmc Filed July 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet :5 10 Z 4& H

Unitfid t s Patent 2,833,480 HIGHWAY RAILROAD CROSSING Cliliord H.Sandberg, Glenview, Ill. Application July 10, 1952, Serial No. 298,040

4 Claims. (Cl. 238-8) This invention relates to highway railroadcrossings made up of structural units that are simple to install,selfdrainin'g, and are readily removable for track and maintenanceoperations.

Generally speaking, the crossing is made up of grating panels orstructural units, each including spaced longitudinal and transverseelements secured together in intersecting relation to form a grating,the outer marginal longitudinal elements serving as girders forsupporting the transverse elements acting as beams or joists.

In this preferred embodiment:

-Fig. 1 is a plan view of a highway crossing for double track railroad,the transverse elements of the grating units being omitted for clarityof illustration;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 ofthe crossing structure between tracks;

Fig. 4 is a similar transverse section of a highway crossing for singletrack;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the structural units for use betweenrails of the same track;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the structural units particularly suitedfor the crossing area outside of the rails; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of one corner of a structural unitshowing the girder form and the selfdraining spike plate arrangement.

But these diagrammatic drawings and the corresponding description areused for the purpose of illustrative disclosure only, and are notintended to impose unnecessary limitations on the claims.

Each structural unit includes spaced longitudinal elements generallyindicated by 10 and spaced transverse elements 11 secured together inintersecting relation making an open grating of the general form shownin plan in Figs. 5 and 6.

Each main structural unit (Fig. 5), such as used between the rails ofthe single-track crossing illustrated in Fig. 4, has outer marginallongitudinal elements 10 composed of a vertically disposed bar 12 and ahorizontally disposed plate 13 below the vertically disposed bar andtogether forming a girder supporting the end portions of the transverseelements 11, which are welded to the bar and the plate. The overallwidth of the structural element thus made is approximately 4 3" in orderto fit between the rails with flange clearance 14 (Fig. 4) on the orderof 2% Such structural units or grating panels are mounted between trackrails on timber blocks 15 and 16 resting on ties 17 substantially asshown in Fig. 4.

In order to provide for fastening the structural units to the blocks andthe ties, certain of the transverse elements 11 are interrupted or cutaway substantially as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 and a spike plate 18 iswelded to the interrupted and adjacent transverse elements 11 andprovided with spike openings 19 for screw spikes 20.

Adjacent to the end portions, the interrupted transverse elements arewelded to short longitudinal elements 21 having their ends welded totheadjacent transverse elements 11; but the. longitudinal elements 21 areof less vertical height than the transverse elements in order to leavedrainage clearance 22 above the plates 18.

A single spike diate block 16, but additional spikes used through theside blocks 15.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each main structural unit between the railsof track is provided with three transversely spaced sets of alignedspike plates. In contrast with this, the side units (Figs. 4 and 6) havebut two transversely spaced sets of spike plates, and the outermost ofthose is formed by the base or horizontally disposed plate 13 of thegirder.

The side units are mounted on timber blocks 24, and are each made fastby two spikes.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the pavement 25 approaches the side crossingunits at approximately the same level.

Intermediate longitudinal elements 26 extend between and connect thetransverse elements 11 'at suitable spacmg.

In one form of construction that has been found satisfactory, the bars12 are 2% x A" x 3' 2 /2"; the plates 13 are 3%" x A x 3 2 /z.'; thetransverse elements are 2%" x /1" bars spaced .67" clear; and theintermediate longitudinal members 26 are twisted rods 4" on center,welded and pressed into the upper portions of the bars 11. For the outerlongitudinal elements of the side units, the plates 13 are 4" X A" x 3 2/2".

At each end of the crossing, the structural units are supplemented byinclined approach plates 27 resting on wedges 28 and spiked to the tiesat 29. These slope plates 27 prevent dragging railway car equipment fromtearing up the crossing structure by deflecting such equipmentas it ismoved toward and over the crossing.

For double tracks or other multiple tracks, the side units and the mainunits between rails are substantially as described.

For the space between adjacent tracks, the crossing is made upsubstantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in which two panels orstructural units 30 are supported on blocks 31, 32, and 33, carried bythe projecting ends of ties 17 and intermediate timbers 34.

Preferably, the longitudinal and transverse elements are not cut,slotted, or punched, but are forged together by enormous pressure whileheated electrically. The pressure and electricity are appliedsimultaneously, and the elements are forged together to form an integralstructure.

The transverse elements 11, bars, may be replaced by bars sheets ofexpanded metal.

I claim:

1. A structural unit for railroad crossings and the like comprising aplurality of transverse elements connected together at each end of theunit by a longitudinal element to form a rigid grating, at least one ofsaid transverse elements being interrupted intermediate its length toform a pocket, and a spike plate of greater dimension than said pocket,positioned therebelow on the bottom surface of the unit and fixed tosaid interrupted transverse element and to flanking transverse elements,and short longitudinal elements fixed to said interrupted transverseelement and said flanking transverse elements, said short longitudinalelements being of less vertical height than 23 are preferably here shownas straight of other shape, or by .said transverse elements, and havingtheir top surfaces level with the top surface of the unit, said spikeplates comprising means for fixing said unit in place.

2. In a structural unit of the type described including a plurality oftransverse elements connected together at each end of the unit by alongitudinal element, the improvement wherein one of the longitudinalelements PatentedMay 6, 1958' 20 is suflicient for fastening the interme3 includes a vertical flange abutting the ends of certain ofsaidtransverse elements and a horizontally disposed plate fixed to thelower surfaces of said transverse elements, at least one of saidtransverse interrupted above said horizontally disposed-plate. and saidplate being perforated in the area of said interrupted element, andwherein a short longitudinal element is se-- cured to the end ofi saidinterrupted element and adjacent transverse elements, said shortlongitudinal element being of less vertical height than said transverseelements and having its top surface level with the top surface of theunit. 1

3. A structural unit for railroad crossings and the like comprising aplurality of parallel transverse barmemhers connected together at theirends by longitudinal end members to form a grating, said longitudinalmembers each having a horizontal flange extending inwardly along thebottom of the unit, atleastone of said 'transverse members beinginterruptedintermediate its length and provided with short,longitudinal, connecting bar members secured to said interruptedtransverse member and to flanking transverse members, thereby to form apocket in said grating, and a substantially flat spike plate of greaterplan dimension than said pocket overlapping said interrupted transversemember and flanking transverse members, and rigidly securedthereto,-forming a bottom for said pocket with the bottom of said platebeing substantially flush with the bottom of said horizontal flangesofthe end members, said pocket beingprovided with drainage openingstherein.

elements being 4. A structural unit for railroad crossings and the likecomprising a plurality of transverse bar members connected together attheir ends by longitudinal end members to form a rigid grating, at leastone of said transverse members being interrupted intermediate its lengthand provided with at least one short longitudinal connecting bar membersecured to said interrupted transverse member and to flanking transversemembers thereby to form a pocket in said grating, and a substantiallyflat spike plate of greater plan dimension than said pocket positionedtherebelow andoverlapping said interrupted transverse member andflanking transverse members, and rigidly secured thereto therebyproviding a bottom for said pocket, said spike plate being provided withan opening to receive a spike and said pocket being provided withdrainage openings therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS GreatBritain Walker Mar. 26, 19.01 I

